Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United meet in the Europa League final this Wednesday, and here’s everything you need to know about the intriguing clash in Bilbao
The Europa League final is set to be contested between Tottenham and Manchester United in an all-Premier League tie. Both sides have fallen well below expectations in the league, but have the opportunity to end the season with silverware and a place in the Champions League.
Earlier this season, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou stated he always delivers a trophy in his second season as a manager, and is one game away from fulfilling that promise at Tottenham. The club’s last trophy came in the 2008 League Cup, and winning the Europa League would represent their first European triumph since 1984.
As for United, manager Ruben Amorim has similarly struggled in the league since replacing Erik ten Hag, with his side a point above Spurs in 16th. However, victory over Spurs would secure United’s place in next year’s Champions League and ensure the club earns silverware for the third consecutive year. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United in the Europa League final.
Kick-off time
The Europa League final between Spurs and United will take place on Wednesday, May 21. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm. The game will be held at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao. It is a venue that United know well, having earned a 3-0 win at the same ground in the first leg of their semi-final tie with Athletic Bilbao.
TV Channel
The Europa League final will be available to watch live on TNT Sports. The action will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate in the UK.
Live stream
The game will be available to live stream on the Discovery+ app, which is the platform that carries TNT Sports. Discovery+ is available to watch on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and smart TVs.
For fans without a Discovery+ subscription, new customers will also be able to watch the Europa League final for free by downloading and registering their details on the discovery+ app. However, TNT Sports will not be streaming the final live on YouTube, which the broadcaster had done in previous years.
TV slot
TNT Sports will dedicate significant airtime to the Europa League final. The build-up to the game between Spurs and United will begin at 6pm, two hours before kick-off.
A pivotal match for both clubs, TNT Sports’ post-match coverage is scheduled to last until 11pm. This will also allow for the potential outcome of extra time and a penalty shootout. In that scenario, the TV slot may be extended beyond 11pm to cover the celebrations and speak to those involved in the final.
Team news
The Europa League’s specific squad rules mean that Spurs quartet Radu Dragusin, Timo Werner, Fraser Forster and Antonin Kinsky were never going to be involved in the final as they were left out of the club’s squad for the knockout rounds. However, Tottenham manager Postecoglou has other issues to contend with.
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have both suffered injuries in recent weeks, with the latter already undergoing surgery. Young midfielder Lucas Bergvall is another notable absentee who is not expected to be involved in Bilbao, despite making progress in his recovery.
Spurs were given a fresh injury worry in their defeat to Aston Villa last Friday, as Pape Matar Sarr suffered a knock that makes him a doubt for the final. Elsewhere, Dane Scarlett will not be part of Postecoglou’s plans as he is also recovering from surgery.
For United, defender Lisandro Martinez and forward Joshua Zirkzee have been dealt season-ending ACL and hamstring injuries, respectively. The majority of the club’s other fitness doubts concern their backline.
Matthijs de Ligt returned against Brentford earlier this month, but has not featured again since being substituted at half-time with a knee injury. Fellow centre-back Leny Yoro recently recovered from a broken foot, but seemed to aggravate the same area in United’s defeat to West Ham. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot is making strides in his recovery, but Amorim is unlikely to risk playing the full-back.
Celebrations
Both clubs may have endured similarly frustrating seasons outside of European competition, but they plan to celebrate a possible Europa League triumph in distinctly different ways. It has been reported that United will not have an open-top bus parade if they are victorious, but instead will host a barbecue for players and staff.
This is due to United having little time to celebrate the possible silverware, as the club end their Premier League season at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, May 25, shortly before a post-season tour in Kuala Lumpur. United’s last open-top bus parade was for winning the 2013 Premier League title. There was no public celebration when the club won the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
Meanwhile, Spurs are expected to have a parade if the club can end their 17-year wait for a trophy. The club have finished runners-up in four cup finals, including the 2019 Champions League, since last lifting a trophy.
Odds
Spurs are viewed as slight favourites (2/1) to win the game in normal time over United (6/4), as per Oddschecker. The draw is priced at 12/5, which would lead to extra time and a possible penalty shootout. In terms of an outright winner, United hold a slight edge at 4/5 while Spurs are priced at evens.
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